But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

Review :

OH MY LANTA! This book was the best read I have had this year. We do not deserve all of it’s amazing. I was blessed enough to meet Tomi at yallfest, she is so beautiful and eloquent in person. Due to that I knew I had to get my hands on this. Shout out to Netgalley for making it possible.

This book had so much EMPOWERMENT. We self, women, culture, and so much more as far as empowerment. It was beautiful and rich to see the strength Tomi put into this book.

It follows the POV of three characters Zèlie, Princess Amari and her brother Prince Inan. Through them we see the entire story from every point of view. What do I mean by this? Prince Inan is our antagonist, it is not very often we get to see that side of the story. I am also in love with him. No one can tell me it is wrong! Amari has one of the best character arcs I have ever read in a book. She grows from a broken girl into a strong proud woman. Seeing it happen is so rewarding. Zèlie so many perfectly imperfect things about her. She carries a wait of so many things on her shoulder from the start of this book. She is a little crass and insubordinate with the government because they do not deserve her respect. From the start, she knew her people deserved more than the pain and suffering they received. She was strong, she ever gave up but she was not always sure she could win BUT be damned if she wouldn’t try. That was one of the best most human things about her. Her brother Tzain is also on this journey with them. He was an amazing character to follow as well and his arc connects the story in so many ways.

While this book is set in a fictional land it has so many undertones of things happening our world today. My booktube partner said it better than I could see passage below.

“Even though the book is supposed to be written in a different world than ours, it is clear to see some of our current situation reflected in this book. Even though every character in this book is black, there’s a lot of racism against the maji, which are noticeably distinguished by their white hair. The maji are treated like the worst of society, they are made into slaves, captured and tortured all because one day their magic might become powerful enough to eradicate the kingdom. There’s also a serious correlation with the BLM movement, which I don’t know if the author did that on purpose or not, but after I read this quote, BLM immediately came to mind, (Not Spoiler, I promise),

“Your people, your guards–they’re nothing more than killers, rapists, and thieves. The only difference between them and criminals is the uniforms they wear.” “

I feel like this book also applies to the way our government is being run on late the same way it corresponds with what Denia wrote.

This is a BIG first book 448 pages of big. Denia and I called it a bible due to size. I usually am of the mind your debut first book of a series should be shorter SO NOT THE CASE THIS TIME. I would have been happy with 448 more pages. The wait for the next book is going to hurt! I recommend this book to every breathing human in the world. Best read of this year.

Danielle’s plans for the future were pretty easy to figure out… until she failed senior English and her single college application was denied. Suddenly she’s in hot water with very few options, because honestly who applies to a safety school when their mom is a semi-famous “college psychic”?!

Determined to get her life back on track, Danielle enrolls in her hometown community college with a plan: pass her English class and get back into Ohio State and her mother’s good graces. Romance isn’t on her radar… until she reconnects with her childhood crush and golden-boy-next-door, Luke.

Between family drama, first love and finding her own way, Danielle can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed. Thankfully she has her friendship with the snarky and frustratingly attractive Porter, her coworker at the campus bookstore, to push her to experience new things and help keep her afloat.

I loved this so much. I was not sure what to expect going in. I thought we would be following a downward spiral of Danielle but what I got was so much better. This was such a great coming of age story. I loved watching Danielle grow into the person she wanted to be. Learning to trust herself and not bend to the whims of others.

The male leads where amazing. They both had different things going for them. Luke with his connection to her past. He also trying to figure out who is in this world. Along the way we see his family and learn the expectations on him.

Porter. I LOVED HIM. He was so unapologetically him throughout the whole story. I loved the way he kept notes in his notepads. It gave him this amazingly real way to see the world. I loved that he found a way to remember even the small things life had to offer.

If you love a good coming of age rom com this is so for you. Five big freaking stars for this amazing debut novel!

About the Author :

Maggie Ann Martin hails from Iowa City, Iowa but moonlights as a New Yorker. She has a shiny new BA in English and Journalism from the University of Iowa, the most welcoming literary community in the world. When she is not writing, you can find her binge watching TV shows or passionately fangirling over fictional characters on the Internet. The Big F is her debut novel. Find her at these places below

An ancient mystery. An unlikely union. For one young princess in a state of peril, a dangerous wish could be the only answer…

She is the princess of Bharata—captured by her kingdom’s enemies, a prisoner of war. Now that she faces a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. But should she trust Vikram, the notoriously cunning prince of a neighboring land? He promises her freedom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together they can team up and win the Tournament of Wishes, a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor. It seems like a foolproof plan—until Gauri and Vikram arrive at the tournament and find that danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans, mischievous story birds, a feast of fears, and twisted fairy revels. New trials will test their devotion, strength, and wits. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.

I was so excited for this because I love Roshani’s lyrical writing. Star touched intrigued me so much! Crown did just the same. I loved the two main characters this go about. While on the subject of characters while at an event I went to Rosh said she was inspired by a few things and Beauty and the beast was one. Spoiler alert the beast in this story is Gauri.

Gauri is a bad ass female character who is deadly, beastly, but also feminine! She loves make up as much as swords and even as someone who does not wear makeup much I really loved that about her. She shows a side to female YA characters that we don’t see much which is being able to do both. You can be a bad ass sword wielding warrior but also love feeling beautiful!

Vikram was book boyfriend material at its finest! He is witty, sarcastic, intelligent, and perfect. I enjoyed him so much and again the fact that he showed a different side that YA is lacking sometimes. He was the softer character who was very in tune to his feelings. He used his mind and heart to fight battles. He listened and remembered and I LOVE HIM.

Okay BANTER people! So much cute witty banter. I am a sucker for people who bicker this book had so much of it! Examples below.

“Are you done?”

“Yes.”

“May I get up?”

“No.”

“I see you like your men with their egos gutted.”

“Only when I’m feeling generous.”

He laughed. “My apologies.”

and this one here is my favorite but MAJOR spoiler because it is from the very very end of the book highlight if you want to read…

“I didn’t manipulate. I encouraged. My council does want me to get married. I just thought that we’d grown so used to annoying one another that we might as well do that for the rest of my life and I would have preferred to ask you when you stood in front of me and not through a series of treaties! And I say the rest of my life, not ours, since this just confirms that you will be the death of me. And as for knowing how you felt, I knew because I asked.”

I MEAN COME ON PEOPLE SO MUCH YESSS!

I ended up liking this more than star touched! My only quip would be that it was occasionally slow but not enough to make me lose interest. This is easily a four star

Last summer, Lucy’s and Ben’s lives changed in an instant. One moment, they were shyly flirting on a lake raft, finally about to admit their feelings to each other after years of yearning. In the next, Trixie—Lucy’s best friend and Ben’s sister—was gone, her heart giving out during a routine swim. And just like that, the idyllic world they knew turned upside down, and the would-be couple drifted apart, swallowed up by their grief. Now it’s a year later in their small lake town, and as the anniversary of Trixie’s death looms, Lucy and Ben’s undeniable connection pulls them back together. They can’t change what happened the day they lost Trixie, but the summer might finally bring them closer to healing—and to each other.

I struggled a little with my rating here. BUT I think I figured it all out! I tore through this book in one day! I was super invested in the story and the characters. Losing friends young is very hard. I lost family and friends young. One of my long time friends when I was just a senior in high school. So this book called to me right away.

We are dealing with two people at different stages in their grief. Lucy lost Trixie her best friend as if that isn’t painful enough she loses Ben as well. The love of her life and Trixies brother. He is alive but is unable to be around her now. Lucy is at the point where she is sad and missing her best friend every day but she knows that she needs to get moving. That living is what Trixie would have wanted. She meets a boy Simon and that’s really where everything changes for her. Ben goes bat shit crazy in the wake of his sister’s death. He is harboring guilt because he thinks if he had been paying attention to his sister and not Lucy she would be alive. He hates the world and everything in it. He attacks Lucy with that hate every chance he gets. Bens grief is the kind I understand. I loved that he was angry and reckless. I loved that he cursed like a sailor and acted out sexually. It felt very real to me. Don’t get me wrong I was yelling at the book, begging him to get his shit together! That is the point though he invoked a real feeling within me.Lucy was also a beautiful character. She has made a new friend named Hannah who is trying to help her deal with the grief. I loved their friendship so much. I loved that Hannah wanted to know Trixie. That she treated her with respect even though she was gone. I loved all the female friendships in this book!

” Be really brave. BRB – our code.”

That sums up how amazing Trixie and these relationships are.

Now on to my issues. Simon the boy Lucy begins dating to try and move on from Ben. He seems extremely sweet and it’s so clear at times he loves her in a way. I also felt some off things about him. Maybe he capitalized on grief a little. I don’t know if that was intentional because it wasn’t addressed. He also throws something very personal in Bens face and that sat very very wrong with me. Simon at the end also faces a grief of his own and I didn’t think that was needed. SPOLIERISH? I hated the kind of stress that added to Lucy. Simon and all his flaws was there for her during her grief and she just left him. It did not sit well with me. BUT my conflicting feelings on Simon the ones that think he was using her grief make me think that is why she left him in his time of need. (I don’t mean she should have stayed with him by any means. Just been a friend)

SO this was my only issue with the story. If you can even call it that.I really liked this book. I think everyone should read! It dealt with grief in ways we don’t often see in the YA world. It also gave us different manifestations of grief helping show that not everyone grieves the same. It was wonderful. FOUR STAR.

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. But when she disappears at midnight, will he ever be able to find her again?

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.

Hello my name is Taylor…and I’m a OBSESSED FANGIRL over this book. I can’t even get myself together to write this review. I am so in love, I am going to go buy every book by Ashley Poston.

OKAY first I loved that it was set in Charleston SC such a beautiful area! Also fangirl moment here Yallfest takes place there and I could so picture the pumpkin going through downtown. Okay back to the review…. This gave me so many happy feels. I related to Elle on so many levels. I spent all of high school with my black glasses, dyed red hair, my miniature dachshund, and everything nerdy thing known to man.

“You’re a good boy, yes you are! Once I save up enough, I’ll spring the both of us out of here. Whatcha think of that, copilot?” His tail pat-pats excitedly in the mud. “I’ll even get us matching sunglasses. The whole nine yards.”

If this is not me I don’t know what is. So Elle has my heart. She was a relatable character that truly had you rooting for her. I loved that she was a writer and blogger. The blogging and vlogging world is so important to me and many other fangirls and boys. So it was really special to see that world portrayed here.

SAGE my wonderful green haired goddess, I did not know it was possible to relate to so many characters yet here we are. As the B in the LBGTQ I was so here for this character and everything she was! Really one of the best side characters ever. I could go for a book about what comes next for her!

Darien my nerd girl heart! I loved him. I know some guys who look like your typical popular jock, who could never understand fandom’s but that is not always the case ALL people can surprise you. Anyone can be geeky and Darien is no exception. I loved his story and the difference between who he wanted to be verses who the world though he was.

Excelsicon was done so well. I have always wanted to do a cosplay contest but I can’t sow to save my life! This whole book was geeky wonderfulness! If someone wants to do a movie version i’m here for that! This gave me Cinderella story circa Hilary Duff days! Only 1000 times better because these were characters I could relate too! PEOPLE get your preorder going because it’s so worth it. SO MANY STARS FOR THIS.

Favorite Quote and next tattooo! Because OH YES this will be tattooed on my body!

Nev has just joined the crew of the starship Kaitan Heritage as the cargo loader. His captain, Qole, is the youngest-ever person to command her own ship, but she brooks no argument from her crew of orphans, fugitives, and con men. Nev can’t resist her, even if her ship is an antique.

As for Nev, he’s a prince, in hiding on the ship. He believes Qole holds the key to changing galactic civilization, and when her cooperation proves difficult to obtain, Nev resolves to get her to his home planet by any means necessary.

But before they know it, a rival royal family is after Qole too, and they’re more interested in stealing her abilities than in keeping her alive.

Nev’s mission to manipulate Qole becomes one to save her, and to survive, she’ll have to trust her would-be kidnapper. He may be royalty, but Qole is discovering a deep reservoir of power—and stars have mercy on whoever tries to hurt her ship or her crew

The blurb for this book left me with some super high hopes and it did not disappoint. There is space travel, shadow, bad ass fight scenes, slow burn romancing, wickedly amazing characters. I count myself very lucky to have gotten my hands on this. I think this book is going to blow up BIG!The characters and world building are fantastic. I felt like I was truly in these new places while reading this. The architecture felt so real. I could fully envision everything and that is hard to do in SCI-FI novel. On top of that we get to see a good amount of different places so there was a lot of world building being done. THE CHARACTERS wow I have not loved every core character to the group in a book since six of crows! Qole is our bad ass female lead in this she is strong, smart, fierce, but she is also closed off from people. She has issues she is working through that have caused her to not imagine a future for herself. Watching her grow was amazing. Nev my sweet undercover prince! Can I just first say I AM HERE FOR HIM BEING SENSITVE! He was great bad ass dual blade wielding but also inherently kind. He wants what is best for his people and friends. Nothing could take the kindness from his heart. I really loved that he was the more heart on your sleeve character also because we seldom see men in the profile. I loved the rest of the crew as well Basra and Arjan are life. I need to know everything there is to know about them! Telu and her bad ass hacking! I love a hacker it is my not so secret wish to be that amazing with hacking! Eton with his stand offish vibe but in the same sentence he is cooking dinner like a boss! Solara, Nev’s sister. I NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HER!Lets’s talk dual POV I loved them both! Usually I find myself liking one POV better and then dying to get back to the one every time it changes. With this though I was happy no matter what. I loved both characters so much I could have lived in their minds forever. Romance in this is slow burning wonderful. ALL AROUND. Yes yes yes! That is all I am going to say about that. This book was so good. I loved it go buy it now please. 5 stars!Favorite Quote

Carver Briggs never thought a simple text would cause a fatal crash, killing his three best friends, Mars, Eli, and Blake. Now Carver can’t stop blaming himself for the accident and even worse, there could be a criminal investigation into the deaths.

Then Blake’s grandmother asks Carver to remember her grandson with a ‘goodbye day’ together. Carver has his misgivings, but he starts to help the families of his lost friends grieve with their own memorial days, along with Eli’s bereaved girlfriend Jesmyn. But not everyone is willing to forgive. Carver’s own despair and guilt threatens to pull him under into panic and anxiety as he faces punishment for his terrible mistake. Can the goodbye days really help?

Stop what you are doing and go order this book! It needs to be read! I read this a few weeks ago as an Arc and WOW. This is one of the books that could change someone’s life. I mean let’s start with the very first line of the book.

“Depending on who — sorry, whom– you ask, I may have killed my three best friends.”

The book follows Carver Briggs after his three best friends died due to texting and driving. Texting him to be exact. Carver is suffering with feeling responsible for the accident and also learning how to live without them. Carver stuck with his main group, he never really ventured out with other people. We This story took all my emotions and made them mush. I cried a river that’s for sure. To add to all he is going through this is the start of his senior year at his arts high school.

I can’t even chose where to start the characters were so well developed and rich. I felt like I knew every single person at some point in my life. The three characters that passed all show up in different way’s through the story. All in the arts school for different things. The artist, musician, comedian, and of course Carver our writer. Each so individual but so perfect for each other. Through this tragedy we also meet Jesmyn she was the girlfriend of one of his friends Eli who passed. She is a wonderful character. I had a friend pass away my senior year of high school. At the time of his death he had been dating a girl for a short period of time. It was hard for her to figure out where her grief sat compared to ours because of how long he had been a part of our lives. Because of that I was very enthralled by Jesmyn throughout this whole story. She also has synesthesia it causes her to see color to match the sounds she hears. THAT MADE FOR SOME BEAUTIFUL LYRICAL MOMENTS example

“It’s like Eli’s dying broke something in me, and now I have this weird sickly greenish-yellow photo filter over everything I do. It’s horrible to have something I love so much feel so completely wrong.”

We meet all the parents of the deceased. All very different in how they are handling grief. It was heart wrenching. This entire book was heartbreaking. I truly believe it is one of those books every teen should have to read before getting their license. Carver learns that sometimes it isn’t just a text.

“Where are you guys? Text me back.”

Jeff Zentner truly has a beautiful way with words. If I could pick my favorite book to quote ever this might be it. It was written in a way that makes you lose yourself in the words on the page. This book was amazing 5 stars. Please read. PLEASE.

★★★★★★★★★

One of my thousand favorite quotes “I tell her how every time I said goodbye to him, it cast a faint shadow on my life– muting every color –until I saw him again.”

Jessa has spent her life dreaming of other worlds and writing down stories more interesting than her own, until the day her favorite character, Finn, suddenly shows up and invites her out for coffee. After the requisite nervous breakdown, Jessa learns that she and Finn are Travelers, born with the ability to slide through reflections and dreams into alternate realities. But it’s not all steampunk pirates and fantasy lifestyles…Jessa is dying over and over again, in every reality, and Finn is determined that this time, he’s going to stop it… this Jessa is going to live.

I am so excited that L.E. DeLano agreed to stop by our little blog! She is a debut author of Traveler you can find my review here. Spoiler alert it was FANTASTIC! Without our further ado L.E DeLano!

Where did you get the inspiration for your book?

When I was eight we were living in England, and I watched an old version of “Alice Through The Looking Glass” on TV (it was the 1974 version, which was really creepy). I happened to pass a mirror afterward and thought it would be cool if there was another ‘me’ on the other side. I stared at my reflection for a long time until – I swear to you – I saw the other me blink. It scared me a lot to the point that I still get a creepy feeling if I catch my reflection out of the corner of my eye.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

Trying to think like a teenage guy is hard. Really hard. At the same time, you don’t want to write your hero as an average teenage guy, either. He’s got to rise above and be more, either from the outset or as the story grows, and it needs to feel organic. It’s a real balancing act.

You have some great diversity going in Traveler which I for one LOVED! We have Danny having autism, Ben being Hawaiian, and one of the Jessa’s is deaf. How important do you think it is in YA that we have diversity in our books?

It’s incredibly important! And I think we’re really coming into a time where diversity is being celebrated in all sorts of literature and in all sorts of ways. We’re moving in the right direction, but we still need more voices in those pages.

Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?

Pirate Finn was just oodles of fun. Didn’t really have a character I disliked writing.

Was it difficult to write the alternate realities?

Oh, that was the fun part! Think of it – unlimited worlds at your fingertips, and they can be just a little different, or wildly off. In addition, Jessa (and Finn) are a little different in each reality, too. How fun is that? I suppose the difficulty is in reigning yourself in. I had one reality early on where she was going to be part of a traveling circus as a fire-eating high-wire artist! Loads of fun, but it really didn’t advance the story so it got cut.

If it was ever made into a movie who would you want for your main characters?

I think Chloe Grace Moretz would be a terrific Jessa. Ben would be Boo-Boo Stewart. Finn’s a little harder. I see Evan Peters or maybe Bob Morely (from ‘The 100’).

NOW after that ending you left us on the cliff dangling by our little pinky fingers I have to ask I know you are currently working on Dreamer which is the sequel can you give us a little tease?

I am definitely working on Dreamer. And one of the things you’ll get to read is a story Jessa is writing, based on a memory of her steampunk self. It’s the day that the other Jessa met pirate Finn – their origin story. Here’s a tease:

“Did I startle you, love?”

“This is a private beach,” she replied, trying to sound firm, but failing as his eyes stayed locked with hers. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s a devilish hot day,” he said with a shrug. “This is the only shade on the beach. It’s a good thing you didn’t arrive ten minutes sooner – you’d surely have had your delicate sensibilities offended.”

She felt her spine stiffen. “I’m not delicate.”

“No,” he said, studying her a moment. “I can see that you’re not.”

“You have a name?”

“Captain Finn Gallagher,” he said, getting up from his seat. He swept her a courtly bow.

“Have we met, Mr. Gallagher?” She stared at him, trying to place him, for he seemed familiar somehow, despite his lack of a shirt.

“Now that,” he said, pointing his apple at her, “Is a question, and a good one.” He took one last bite of the fruit before pitching it off into the sand.

“You have an accent,” she said. “Irish?”

“Aye. I’ve taken up a new route – my ship is the fastest solar schooner in port.”

“The tall one? With the tree painted on the mainsail?”

“That’s the one,” he said, grinning. She couldn’t seem to stop staring at the dimple that appeared on one side, just above the curve of his lip.

“It’s a fine ship.” She turned her head to look out to the sea. “I would imagine you’ve had many adventures, with a ship like that.”

“I have,” he agreed, stepping to the edge of the beach and offering a hand to assist her out of the water. “I’ve had a fair few without it, as well. Would you like to hear about them?”

She couldn’t stop the excitement that leapt into her eyes. “I would. I want to hear them all.” She reached her hand out as she drew closer, and he grasped it gently, placing a light kiss on the backs of her fingers. He didn’t let it go.

“Jessa.” He finished. And something inside her shifted at the familiarity of her name on his lips.

Big thank you to L.E. DeLano for taking time to do this interview! THAT TEASER swoon much? I am so ready for book two! I so pictured BooBoo Stewart as well and now Evan Peters MY HEART! Make sure you guy’s check out Traveler it is so worth it!

XOXO Taylor

About L.E. DeLano

L.E. DeLano is a novelist, blogger and autism advocate with a “useless” Theatre degree that has opened doors for her in numerous ways. Though mostly raised in New Mexico, she now calls Pennsylvania home. When she’s not writing, which is almost never, she’s binge-watching Netflix and trying her best not to be an unwitting pawn her cat’s quest for world domination.

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

I finally decided to read this! I had been wanting to but had pushed it back countless times on my TBR. With the trailer having come out this week it was finally time.

DO NOT WATCH THE TRAILER IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK Because spoiler alert the trailer spoilers are plentiful it pretty much spark notes the whole book.

I really ended up liking this but it wasn’t what I thought it would be. Maddy is sick from a rare disease that know can cure. She has lived her life locked away with very LIMITED social interaction. Her mother is extremely protective and will do anything to keep her alive. Maddy hears the moving trucks and in comes Olly. They talk through the window, exchange emails, and so it begins. All of this I understood but here are some things that threw me off. ONE the mom never seemed to do anything to give her daughter a semi normal life. The all white everything, COME ON that is not helpful when trying to keep her spirits up. At first I thought it had to white because it was cleaner Maddy at one point say’s

BUT then Olly comes in and the girl is buying colored shirts and shoes. WHY did you not do that to start with? I have no idea why this bugged me but at last it did.

OKAY back on track here I loved Olly and his side plot. I think that his story line was an important one to tell because everyday people who sometimes you would least expect suffer with something like that. The relationship between then was EVERYTHING I loved them. YAY for diverse characters and relationships! I love her realizing that to actually live would be a better adventure then to waste away without knowing life. A lot of people thought that she was selfish for acting that way but I think that having never had a chance to truly live one weekend would be worth the risk.

The twist ending I kind of saw it coming but I wasn’t sure. I thought a certain someone seemed off the whole time but I wasn’t sure. I still really liked the end again it touched on a tough subject. All in all I really liked this book 4 stars

We are seventeen and shattered and still dancing. We have messy, throbbing hearts, and we are stronger than anyone could ever know…

Jonah never thought a girl like Vivi would come along.

Vivi didn’t know Jonah would light up her world.

Neither of them expected a summer like this…a summer that would rewrite their futures.

In an unflinching story about new love, old wounds, and forces beyond our control, two teens find that when you collide with the right person at just the right time, it will change you forever.

Fay’s Rating: ★★★★☆

I had trouble getting into this book at first, the beginning didn’t really grip me. But as soon as I clicked that Vivi was bipolar I was a lot more intrigued.I’m pleased to say I was able to identify her illness before it was confirmed in the book so it was evident that it was researched. However, it is very…. by the book. She seemed to display every well known symptom of bipolar disorder and it didn’t stray much from these which was a little disappointing.

I probably shouldn’t have read this when I was in a depressive episode of my own, as this triggered me quite badly and resulted in assisting with my latest breakdown. So if you are suffering with a mental illness, I strongly recommend you read this when you are in a good state of mind.

I enjoyed reading Jonah’s POV. As someone who has had a parent who has been in that mindset, it was interesting to be able to see it from the outside. Seeing the small things slowly build up and start to affect his own mental health was eye opening. A lot of people don’t realise that it takes it’s toll on the people around you and it was important to see Jonah’s mental revolve slowly etch away.

The ending was a little disappointing for me. As someone who loves a lovely happily ever after, I was left feeling a little hollow, but it is very bittersweet.

All in all, a very interesting and mind-altering read. I recommend everyone to read this book at some point in their life. There is a huge stigma around mental health still and I think this is a great way in getting some information out there about it to young adults.

Favourite quote: “My dark days made me strong. Or maybe I already was strong, and they made me prove it.”